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Man Vs. Machine: Why Using a Human Mortgage Professional Is Better Than Trusting an App

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Man Vs. Machine: Why Using a Human Mortgage Professional Is Better Than Trusting an AppAre you currently house-hunting or plan to be in the near future? If you plan on using mortgage financing to pay for your home, you will soon discover that there’s no shortage of options available to you. You can meet with a local mortgage professional, apply for mortgages online and even download mobile apps that promise to set you up with a mortgage. However, is every option equal?

Let’s explore why, in the epic battle of man versus machine, you will want to place your trust in a human mortgage professional.

Human Mortgage Professionals Have Local Experience

The first and most important reason you will want to work with a human mortgage professional is their understanding of the local real estate market. While you are likely to be working with a real estate agent, your mortgage advisor is another pair of eyes-and-ears that can help to keep your home purchase on the right path. They are also working regularly with many local clients and can share insight and information that no website or app will be able to come up with.

A Human Can Appreciate Your Unique Financial Situation

Online and app-based mortgage technology is… cold. Algorithms are processing the math and other hard facts about your financial history, with little consideration of you and your family as people. When you meet with a human mortgage advisor, you’re speaking with someone who understands the challenges that regular people face. They have also worked with numerous other clients and can appreciate why certain circumstances may have come up in the past.

A Human Will Go To Bat For You If Needed

Finally, don’t forget that a human mortgage professional is invested in your success. A mobile app isn’t going to understand when it needs to go the “extra mile” to ensure that you get the financing you need. You can trust that a human will push for that extra bit of funding or those better repayment terms as they’re on your side.

The above are just a few of the many reasons that you will want to work with a human mortgage advisor rather than using a website or mobile app. Don’t believe us? Give your local professional (and human!) mortgage team a call today. 

What To Know About Your Debt-To-Income Ratio When Buying A Home

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What To Know About Your Debt-To-Income Ratio When Buying A HomeWhen you apply for a mortgage, your lender will do some quick math to figure out how much of a loan you can afford. Your lender will consider many factors, and one of the most important ones is your debt-to-income ratio. It is usually shortened to DTI, and understanding this formula can help you better understand how big of a house you can afford. 

An Overview Of A DTI

Your DTI represents the amount of money you spend compared to the amount you make. Your lender is going to have very strict DTI requirements when deciding whether you can be approved for a mortgage. The lender wants to make sure you are not taking on a loan that you cannot afford to pay. If you cannot pay back your mortgage, your lender ultimately loses that money. Generally, your lender will want to see a lower DTI as they go through your application.

Front-End DTI

Your front-end DTI includes all expenses related to housing. This includes your homeowners’ association dues, your real estate taxes, your homeowners’ insurance, and your future monthly mortgage payment. In essence, this will be your DTI after your lender gives you a potential loan. 

Back-End DTI

Then, your lender is also going to take a look at your back-end DTI. This the first two other forms of debt that could go into your DTI. A few examples include car loans, student loans, credit card debt, and personal loans. Generally, this is the most important number because it is debt that you already carry when you apply for a mortgage. Your lender can always make adjustments to your home loan to fix your front-end DTI, but your lender does not have any control over your back-end DTI. 

What Is A Strong DTI?

Every lender will take a slightly different approach, but lenders prefer to see a total DTI somewhere around 32 or 34 percent. If you already have this much debt when you apply for a mortgage, you may have a difficult time qualifying for a home loan. On the other hand, if you don’t have a lot of debt, your lender may qualify you for a larger home loan. 

 

The Quick and Easy Guide to Determining How Big of a Mortgage Your Family Can Afford

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The Quick and Easy Guide to Determining How Big of a Mortgage Your Family Can AffordAre you shopping around for a new house or apartment? One of the key considerations you will need to make is figuring out how much you want to invest in your new home. Below you’ll find our quick and easy guide to determining just how much “house” you can afford. Let’s get started!

Start By Making A Proper Budget

The first thing you’ll want to do is sit down and get a full budget put together. The easiest way to get the process started is to begin with two lists: income and expenses. For the income list, write down the amount of money your family brings in each month after taxes. If you have side income sources or extra income that tends to fluctuate over time, use the average amount for the past six months.

For the expenses list, write down all the spending that you do each month. Start with the major, stable items like rent, utilities and the like. Then work your way through to discretionary spending like dining out and other sources of entertainment. If it helps, go through your bank and credit card statements to ensure that you are not missing anything.

Once you have an accurate budget, you’ll know exactly how much you can afford to pay toward your mortgage payments each month.

Figure Out How Much You Can Put Down

Next, you’ll need to think about how much cash you want to pay as a down payment on your home. The larger the down payment you can afford, the smaller amount of mortgage financing you’ll need. While it might seem like a good idea to put as much as you can down, there are some things to consider. Any money you put against your down payment is going to be unavailable to you, which reduces your financial options. You’ll also lose the opportunity to invest it, which means missing out on potential returns over time.

Determine How Much House You Actually Need

Finally, give some thought as to how large or luxurious a home you want to buy. For example, if you have a small family and don’t need a large four- or five-bedroom house, you can instead opt for a smaller but more luxurious home. Conversely, if space is a priority, you may want to forego the high-end options to ensure you have enough room.

When you’re ready to explore your mortgage options, we’re ready to help. Contact your trusted mortgage professional at your convenience. We’re committed to helping you purchase the home of your dreams.

The Minimum Credit Score For VA Home Loan Approval: What To Know

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The Minimum Credit Score For VA Home Loan Approval: What To KnowWhen you are applying for a home loan, you need to make sure that you meet the minimum credit score requirements. If you decide to go with a traditional loan, the credit limit can be high, making it hard to qualify for a home loan. In contrast, you might be able to qualify for a VA home loan with a much lower credit score. What do you need to know?

The VA Does Not Have A Minimum Credit Score Requirement

One of the major benefits of applying for a VA home loan is that you do not need to worry about meeting a minimum credit score requirement. There is no minimum credit score you need to qualify for a VA home loan, as there are lots of factors that the lender will consider when reviewing your application. Your credit score is only one factor. At the same time, you are encouraged to have a credit score between 580 and 660 to increase your chances of being approved for a home loan.

There Are Other Benefits Of Applying For A VA Home Loan

In addition to the lack of a credit score requirement, there are other benefits of applying for a VA home loan. For example, you do not have to worry about putting any money down. While you might be able to get a lower interest when if you decide to put money down, you are not required to do so. You also do not have to worry about paying PMI, even if you do not put 20 percent down. This is just another way that a VA home loan can help you save money.

A VA Home Loan Could Be The Right Option For You

With so many benefits of applying for a VA home loan, it makes sense to do so; however, you need to make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements. For this reason, you should work with a professional who can make sure you qualify for a VA home loan for your next purchase.

Should You Buy Mortgage Points?

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Should You Buy Mortgage Points?When you take out a home loan, you might have the option to purchase mortgage points. Essentially, this is money that you pay to the lender upfront in exchange for getting a lower interest rate over the life of the loan. If you got a great deal on the house, you might have some extra cash on hand. Should you use that money to buy down the interest rate? This is a math problem that you need to calculate for yourself.

How To Do The Math

If you want to figure out if the mortgage points are worth it, you need to do some math. For example, you may need to pay an extra $3,000 at closing to qualify for a lower interest rate. You need to figure out how long it will take you to get that $3,000 back in terms of interest savings. So, if you save $30 per month on interest in exchange for that $3,000 upfront, it will take you 100 months to get that $3,000 back. After that, you will come out ahead. That is about eight years. So, if you plan on staying in the home for eight years (or more), then it might be worth it. If you sell the house before that point, or if you decide to refinance your home loan, then you will lose that money.

Other Factors To Consider

There are other factors to consider as well. For example, if you decide to buy discount points, it might be tax deductible, but this is something that you need to talk about with an accountant. Furthermore, if you are not getting the lowest interest rate because of a low credit score, you might want to buy discount points as well. Finally, if you want to reduce your monthly payment, mortgage points might be a smart way to get a lower payment.

Do not forget that you need to think about other options for that cash. There is a chance that you might need that cash for another bill, such as tuition or a car repair, so think carefully before buying discount points.